antecedent
noun [ C ] uk/ˌæn.tiˈsiː.dənt/ us/ˌæn.t̬əˈsiː.dənt/
formal（尤指作为后来存在或发生之事的起因或起源的）前事，前情，先例;祖先
someone or something existing or happening before, especially as the cause or origin of something existing or happening later
Charles Babbage's mechanical calculating engines were the antecedents of the modern computer. 查尔斯•巴贝奇的机械计算机是现代计算机的前身。
Many people feel a great curiosity to find out about their antecedents. 很多人对于他们的祖先充满了好奇，很想探究一番。
language specialized先行词，前述词
a word or phrase that a pronoun refers back to
In the sentence "He picked a book off the shelf and handed it to Sally", "book" is the antecedent of "it". 在句子 He picked a book off the shelf and handed it to Sally 中，book 是 it 的先行词。
antecedent
adjective formal uk/ˌæn.tiˈsiː.dənt/ us/ˌæn.t̬əˈsiː.dənt/
（同页中）上面提到的;上文的，前文的
previous
When the college was established in 1546, it inherited a hall from each of three antecedent institutions. 该学院在1546年建立时，从作为其前身的三个机构中分别承继了一座教学楼。
Opposite: subsequent